With just five days to go before the start of the Indian Premier League 2026 season, teams have started their preparations through net sessions and intra-squad matches to fine-tune combinations ahead of the tournament.
The Kolkata Knight Riders, who begin their campaign against the Mumbai Indians on March 29 at the Wankhede Stadium, held their second intra-squad practice game as part of their build-up.
In a high-scoring contest between the “Golden Knights” and “Purple Knights,” the Golden Knights put up a massive 249/5 in 20 overs after opting to bat first.
Leading from the front, skipper Ajinkya Rahane delivered a sensational knock of 58 off just 25 balls, providing a major boost to the team ahead of the season. His aggressive approach signals strong form at a crucial time.Big price tag signing Cameron Green, who was bought for a record ₹25.20 crore in the IPL 2026 auction, also impressed with a fluent 52 off 30 balls, underlining his value as a key player for the franchise.
Meanwhile, Ramandeep Singh added to the fireworks with a quickfire 42 off just 16 deliveries, showcasing the depth and form of KKR’s domestic talent.With multiple players hitting form at the right time, KKR will head into IPL 2026 with confidence as they aim for a strong start to their campaign. Let’s see if the Purple Knights can chase it down or not.
Golden Knights team – Finn Allen(wk), Ajinkya Rahane(C), Cameron Green, Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Varun Chakravarthy, Kartik Tyagi, Vaibhav Arora
Purple Knights team – Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert (wk), Manish Pandey (c), Rahul Tripathi, Tejaswi Dahiya, Prashant Solanki, Umran Malik, Bowler 1, Bowler 2, Bowler 3, Bowler 4, Bowler 5